Insulin pump reduces mortality from cardiovascular disease by almost 50 percent

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-08/uog-ipr081115.php

Public Release: 11-Aug-2015
Insulin pump reduces mortality from cardiovascular disease by almost 50 percent
University of Gothenburg

People with type 1 diabetes who use insulin pump therapy face almost 50% less risk of dying from cardiovascular disease than those who take insulin by multiple daily injections. The British Medical Journal has published a study conducted at Sahlgrenska Academy.

Based on the National Diabetes Register, researchers monitored 18,168 Swedes with type 1 diabetes from 2005 to 2012. While 2,441 of the subjects used insulin pump therapy, the others relied on multiple daily injections.

The study found that insulin pump users had a substantially lower risk of dying of cardiovascular disease than the daily injection group. The correlation was statistically certain.

"We carefully analyzed the findings to eliminate the risk of bias or confounding and concluded that the effect had been fully verified," says Isabelle Steineck, researcher at Sahlgrenska Academy.

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"We evaluated the patients who used insulin pump therapy and do not know if the observed effect is attributable to continuous infusion of insulin or that some of the effect is attributable to intensified glucose monitoring, increased motivation to control blood glucose, or a better knowledge about having diabetes type 1" says Isabelle Steineck.

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